Changeable color exhibiting device



Sept. 5, 1950 w. A. WALKE'R 2,521,023

CHANGEABLE COLOR EXHIBITING DEVICE Filed Nov. 16, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Will/am A/ben Walker WWW Sept. 1950 w. A. WALKER 2,521,028

CHANGEABLE COLOR EXHIBITING DEVICE Filed NOV. 16, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 2 Fig. 4

7'0 ,70 Fig.5 FORMUL.A 22 FORMULA 23 FORMULA 24 F Inventor 6 68 56 Will/am Albert Walker Patented Sept. 1950 'UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE OHANGEABLE COLOR EXHIBITING DEVICE William Albert Walker, Chicago, 111.

Application November 16, 1948, Serial No. 60,337

7 Claims. (01. 35-283) This invention relates to a color exhibiting device in which tapes having differently colored portions are manually shiftable so as to be brought into registration with a window in a casing of the device, the device being primarily designed for use by painters and others who desire to compare colors of paints and other materials with the standarized colors exhibited by the device.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a changeable color exhibiting device whereby a properly identified colored panel, chosen by the operator from a large number of such colored panels, may quickly and easily be made available for purposes of comparison.

. .Another object of this invention is to provide a device in which the colored panels, specifically the colored portion of a tape wound upon a pair of spools, will remain exposed within a window in the casing of the device until such time as the operator desires to expose a different color.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which is easily carried and in which the more easily damaged portions thereof are well protected.

And a last object to be mentioned specifically is to provide a device of this character which is relatively inexpensive and practicable to manufacture, which is simple and convenient to use, and which will give generally efiicient and durable service.

With these objects definitely in view, this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail in the specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this application, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the assembled device;

' Figure 2 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, the view being taken from the side of the device and the casing on that side being almost completely broken away and the underlying plate being also broken away in two places to illustrate the arrangement of the spools and colored tapes;

Figure 3 and Figure 4 are views taken substantially upon the corresponding section lines in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the colored tape;

' 5i Figure 6 is a fragmentary lower plan view of the tape; and

Figure '7 is an elevational view showing how a winding'spring is mounted on one end of each of a pair of the spools.

Similar characters of reference designate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout thediiferent views in the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, this invention includes a casing H] which is generally cylindrical in shape and which has an inturned portion at each side near the periphery of the casing and an inwardly disposed annular barrelled portion 54 integral with the inturned portions l2. The casing may be made in two sections and each section will be similarly centrally apertured as at It and these sections have interlocking edges I8 and it is preferred that the two parts of the casing Ill be held together by transversely disposed bolts 20 or the like.

A pair of windows 22 are diametrically oppositely disposed and inset into the casing and a pair of substantially parallel centrally apertured circular plates 24 are welded to the inside surface of the casing Ill. A pair of spools 26 have their spindles journaled in these plates 24 and extend transversely of the device between these plates and at an equal distance from the axis of the casing. A helical spring 28 is terminally secured to each of the spools 26 and an outer end of each spring is secured to a pin 39 mounted upon one of these plates 24, whereby the spools 26 are biased to turn in one direction. Another pair of spools 32 are similarly oppositely disposed and journaled to and between the plates 24, these spools 32 being at the opposite sides of the windows 22 from the corresponding spools 23, as will be clearly understood from an inspection of Figure 2. The spools 32 are each provided with a pinion 34 in constant engagement with a gear 36 on one side of a wheel assembly which is represented generally by the numeral 38.

This wheel assembly 38 also includes a pair of oppositely disposed marginal portions 40 including offset flanges which are adapted to rotate between and in sliding relation with the inner portions of the barrelled portions [4 of the case ing and the inner edge portion of each of the plates 24, whereby the wheel assembly 38 is rotatably mounted in the casing. This wheel assembly 38 also includes a pair of oppositely disposed inwardly concaved central portions 42, another pair of similarly shaped portions 44 coaxially secured thereto, and a pair of pointers 46, one portion 48 of each pointer being disclosed in Figure 4, on each side of the wheel assembly. The parts of the wheel assembly may be held together by a pair of axis pins 52 and screws 54', and in this connection, it should be carefully noted that a pair of relatively heavy discs 53 will be secured to the wheel structure, as clearly indicated in Figures 3 and 4, on the inner ends of these axis pins 52. These heavy discs 50 facilitate the rapid spinning of the wheel 38 when it is desired to move a pair of tapes generally in dicated at 56 and wound upon the spools 26 and 32, a considerable distance.

The tapes 56 are each entrained over a pair of guide pins 58 disposed transversely between the plates 24 and on each side of each window 22. A plurality of stops 66 are arranged in acircle on the plates 24:, each: stop comprising acylinder With a pair of plungers 62 therein biased outwardly by a spring 64 and having rounded terminals 66 adapted to selectively engage in apertures 67 spaced around the above mentioned on set portion of the marginal portionwtil' on'eaeh.

side of the wheel 38. As the wheel 38 is turned the rounded ends 66 successively engage in the said apertures and these apertures must, of;

heavy discs 59 are provided, since the spinning of the wheel 38 must be accomplished in opposition to the efiect of the stops 6%. has once been started in rotation, the discs 59 in maintaining a sufiicient speed of rotation so When the wheel 38 that the stops to will not make it difdcult to turn.

the wheel.

The tapes 56 are represented in Figure 6 as having formulae iii printed thereon and num' bered, and each panel or portion $3, differently colored as mentioned above, will preferably graduate in tone in accordance with a chart of colors affixed in any suitable manner to the sides of the casing It, as illustrated fragmentarily at ii in Figure l. The charts will have the different colors named and numbered as indicated at E2.

, The tapes 5%? will be colored in panels on the inner sides thereof, and the said inner sidesare viewed through oppositely disposed side'windows '12 comprising panels of transparent plastic'set into the sides of the casing It adjacent each oi the windows 22. Reflectors i l, represented as comprising prisms having inclined reflecting surfaces, are mounted in cradles 76 formed by portions of the casing i5 and plates 24%, the reflecting surfaces being disposed to reflect light from the inner sides of colored panels on the tapes 56 laterally through the side windows E2.

The arrangement. of they panels, numbers and formulae is a matter of in- 7 dividual preferment and mechanical'expediency.

The operation of this invention will be clearly understood from a consideration of the forego- 7 ing description of the mechanical details thereof, taken in connection with the above recitation of the objects sought to be achieved by this invention and in connection with the drawings. It

will be clear that all of the algave mentioned objects are amply achieved by this invention, and further description would appear unnecessary.

Minor variations from the embodiment repre-' sented in the drawings may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of this invention 5 andthe scope of this'invention should be determined only in accordance with a proper interpretation of the sub-joinedclaims.

Having described the asnew is:

l. A changeable color exhibiting device cominvention, What is claimed prising a hollow, generally cylindrical casing having windows on the periphery and on contiguous portions of the sides of the casing adjacent the periphery, a pair of plates secured to the casing V internally thereof, said pIates being spaced apart times. of the geared wheel tions, and means for rotating said spools to wind the tape from one spool to the other past said windows, mirrors fixed within the casing and inclined to reflect light from the surface of said tape disposed toward the inside of the casing outwardly through the windows on the sides of the I casing. V

2. A device according to claim 1 and wherein said means includes a manually operable wheel rotatively mounted on the casing, at least one of said spools being operatively connected with-said wheel. J 3. A device according to claim 2 and wherein said plates are circular and arranged coaxially of said casing and wheel. a. A device according to claim 1 and wherein said means is a wheel mounted coaxially of the casing, one of spools is directly driven by said wheel and the other spool is operativelyconnected with a helical spring biasing the same to rotate in one direction.

5. A device according to claim 1, and wherein said means is a manually operated geared wheel mounted coaXia-lly of the casing, said spools. hav ing gears driven by said geared wheel, and means for releasably holding said wheel against rotation when the wheel is stopped in positions corresponding to positions of tape with said col:- ored portions thereof registering with said windows. a

6. A device according to claim I, and: said wheel having coaxially mounted. flywheels so that the wheel may be spun rap-idly in either direction. 7. A changeable color exhibiting device comprising a hollow, generally cylindrical casing having windows on the periphery and-on contiguous portions of the sides of the casing adjacent-the periphery, a pair of plates secured to the casing internally thereof, said plates being spaced apart and substantially parallel, a pair of spools rota-s tively mounted on and between said plates on opposite sides Of said window, a tape mounted on said spools and having differently coloredportions, means for rotating said spools to: wind. the tapefrom one spool to the. other past said win.-

dows, mirrors within the casing and-in,-

clined to reflect light from the surface oi said tape disposed toward the inside of the casingoutwardly through the windows on the sides of. the casing, said means comprising a. geared wheel mounted coaxially of the casing, said spoolshaving gears coasting with the geared wheel, stops comprising spring pressed plungers mounted transversely of the casing, said geared wheel naving apertures spaced to correspond with the-posh 'len different colored portions of the tape-are opposite said windows, and said plungers releasably engaging said apertures. r

' WILLIAM ALBERT WALKEBA,

asrsasricss crrsn The following references are of record in'the file of this patent: I

V UNITED STATES PATENTS 

